A truly radical National Trust would return to its founding principles

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What a wonderful job, what an impossible job. The person who got it is Hilary McGrady, the new director-general of the National Trust. Each of the two preceding directors-general – Dame Fiona Reynolds and Dame Helen Ghosh – succeeded in infuriating previously loyal supporters. McGrady says that she wants to be “radical”. Does that mean more anguish?

It needn’t. Out with political correctness. Out with bean bags. Let’s go back to the ideals of the founding fathers. They were philanthropists, intent on improving the lot of the working poor. That was radical. But they weren’t pushovers. (The word “working” was important; they had no time for malingerers.)